The present invention relates to an electric earth-moving vehicle, particularly for poorly ventilated locations.
Small vehicles are known for earth-moving in confined spaces or for low power levels which preferably have a hydraulic drive which is controlled by a pump which is driven by an internal-combustion engine: in particular, some vehicles can be fitted, at the front or at the rear, with buckets, loading shovels, blades, lifting forks, excavators, mills, drills, rotating brushes or equipment of any kind which will be designated hereinafter generically as equipment and which is usually hydraulically powered.
Vehicles of this kind are extremely effective, but when used in confined spaces, such as mines, basements, ship holds, industrial buildings, historical city centers, cemeteries or the like, they have the drawback that their internal-combustion engines emit exhaust gases and produce noise at levels which are particularly unwanted in such environments.
In practice, there is the need for vehicles which reduce the coefficients of acoustic and chemical aggressiveness and which in giving broad assurances of environment-friendliness have a gentle impact on the user and on the citizens involved.
On the other hand, differently from battery-powered electric-drive vehicles known as fork-lift trucks, which are meant to usually work on level ground and on the same site, earth-moving vehicles must be able to travel for significant stretches on roads, including unpaved roads, without stations for recharging or replacing the batteries.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an electric earth-moving vehicle, particularly for poorly ventilated locations, which can travel over significant distances on roads, can operate without emitting toxic gases, can be fitted with equipment of any kind which can be actuated hydraulically and has a significant operating range.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to achieve the above aim with a structure which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation and relatively modest in cost.
This aim, this object and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an electric earth-moving vehicle particularly for poorly ventilated locations, according to the present invention, characterized in that it comprises an electric motor drive for driving wheels of the vehicle, a hydraulic unit which is actuated by a further electric motor drive for the equipment installed on the vehicle, at least two sets of batteries for said motor drives, a control unit for connecting said motor drives to said sets of batteries which is adapted to connect the motor drives individually or simultaneously to one set of batteries or the other or to both, and a supporting chassis which has, in a median and downward region, a tunnel for inserting one of said sets of batteries.